


Strange Changes

by Tarlan



Series: Strange Changes [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Community: trope_bingo, F/M, M/M, Trope Bingo Round 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 15:32:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one registered the strange changes in their physiology until it was too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strange Changes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [raphe1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raphe1/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Alpha and Omega Mcshep](https://archiveofourown.org/works/994466) by [marlislash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marlislash/pseuds/marlislash). 



> Mentions canon relationships. ABO related.
> 
>  
> 
> **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, raphe1 !!**
> 
>  
> 
> Written for:  
>  **ancientctybingo** : keep the change  
>  **trope_bingo** : amnesia
> 
> Please check out the lovely banner created for my story by Marlislash!

It happened so slowly that no one really registered the change until it was too late. At first he believed it had something to do with the Ancient gene as the natural gene bearers were the first to display signs of the change but then Carson realized that it was also affecting those who had taken the gene therapy that he had pioneered - or rather that the original Carson Beckett.

It wasn't until much later, when those who had not reacted to the gene therapy also began to change, that Carson knew it had to have something to do with the city. Something within Atlantis was changing them, and if he could not figure it out soon then none of them would ever be able to leave the city again - at least not permanently.

As he took another blood sample from John, Carson tried to give the Colonel a reassuring smile but he was fairly positive that it had fallen short of the mark. Outwardly there seemed to be no discernible physical signs of the change but that was only because the changes were occurring internally and psychologically.

It was easy to label the two groups using the Ancient Greek alphabet purely because the changes followed the same lines as a wolf pack: Alpha and Beta.

Unlike with a wolf pack, though, there seemed to be more than a single Alpha pair. Hardly surprisingly John Sheppard, Evan Lorne and, intriguingly, Ronon Dex were among the alphas, but it wasn't just some of the males who became more dominant. Teyla, Laura Cadman, Ann Teldy, Captain Vega, and several of the female scientists displayed alpha qualities. At a reckoning, Carson believed around ten percent of the Atlantis personnel now displayed Alpha dominance.

The dominance was noticeable on a subconscious level as the alphas seemed to exude pheromones that made everyone else back down and willingly obey.

At first he believed the rest of the new Lanteans - for want of a better description - fell into a secondary category of Beta, but that was before he noticed a distinct third category. They appeared to be the exact opposite of the alphas and he foolishly named them omegas - the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Yet, as his studies continued he realized that far from being docile and submissive, the omegas were every bit as dominant as the alphas, just in a different way. If anything they were the controlling voices of reason that kept the alphas from becoming too aggressive. They fulfilled a need within the alphas, feeding on the protective side of their nature by using the mental component of the ATA gene to bond an alpha to them. Again it was around ten percent of the new Lanteans, and all of them had the ATA gene whether naturally or through the gene therapy.

It was the bond that he noticed first, or rather it was the way an alpha reacted around certain individuals, treating them almost reverently as if they were infinitely precious. Other than himself, he realized that Rodney fell into this third category along with Jennifer, and this caused no end of problems as the strange bond demanded an alpha-omega partnership only. Two omegas together led to just as many problems as two alphas trying to form a relationship. They couldn't 'complete' each other and this lack of a mental bond gradually tore them apart.

How an alpha and an omega chose each other was as much a mystery as falling in love - though the difference was the potential for a lifelong commitment rather than a flush of romance that eventually faded. Like the wolf and other animals on earth, it appeared that alphas and omegas gave off a pheromone initially that could potentially bond them for life. Yet this was still all conjecture on his part as this phenomenon had only recently come to light and he had only a single example to use as a comparison. The only pair bond that had formed so far was Ronon and Jennifer; the rest of them seemed to be fighting the process.

He felt a momentary twang of sorrow for Rodney and Jennifer. Only a few weeks ago, just before they returned to Pegasus with Atlantis, they had finally reached the stage where Rodney was ready to propose marriage. At least Carson believed that was the case, though it was hard to recall exactly.

Earth seemed like a lifetime ago now.

For his own part, Carson could feel a pull towards Laura, which was difficult as their relationship had ended with the death of the original Carson Beckett. Even though he knew he was just a clone, he had Carson's memories, making it so much harder to resist.

Looking through the Ancient database, Carson had found not one single entry to explain it, which was surprising for something this important, especially as the Ancients had not been shy about their sexual practices. Eventually he had gained permission to speak to the Atlantis interface directly, aware that it drew power that they could ill afford to waste.

He stepped into the holographic chamber they had discovered on that very first day in Atlantis with the Colonel, Woolsey, Rodney, Jennifer and a few others, determined to find answers.

By the time they had finished interrogating the holographic avatar representing the Atlantis A.I., Carson was both shocked and dismayed. The reason why he had not discovered anything in the archives was because there was nothing to be found. This genetic drift had come about purely because Atlantis had feared she would be abandoned again by - in her words - this second iteration of the ancients after analyzing the communications between her new people and those who had remained on Earth. The establishment of these three distinct categories - alpha, beta and omega - was merely a side effect of her real goal, to prevent the New Lanteans from leaving the city permanently and returning to Earth.

She had bonded them not just to each other but also to her.

The more he delved into her reasoning, the more he realized why it was only ten percent in each of the alpha and omega categories. She was altering the strongest gene carriers only, whether natural or otherwise. Those whose ATA gene was below a certain level in strength fell into the same category as those who had no ATA gene at all: the betas.

He hadn't seen it before because of Teyla and Ronon. They were an anomaly until he realized that Atlantis was reacting to the Wraith gene. As for Ronon, no one could recall giving him the gene therapy but when Carson looked back through the security footage, he discovered that Jennifer had given him the injection a week earlier. Except she was supposed to have given a different inoculation due to his recent exposure to...

Carson wondered if all the Satedans were ATA gene carriers, but shook his head at the momentarily distraction of his thoughts. 

Where was I? he thought, and blinked several times before pulling back up the files. Oh yes. Ronon's recent exposure to.... He blinked as the word evaded him for a moment.

"Earth."

The only explanation for the mix up was deliberate 'sabotage' - by Atlantis.

"Jennifer, love. I need you to run some tests on me."

Jennifer looked at him in concern. "Is there a problem?"

"I think I'm losing my memory."

She ran him through a series of tests and he answered all her questions with no problem at all. He could require moments from his - from Carson's childhood with clarity. He could recall complex equations and theories, and yet he knew there was something slipping away. Some memory that was fading.

***

Rodney stopped and stared as he saw Jennifer tuck herself up against Ronon. He knew he ought to feel resentful after all he had done to win her away from Ronon and yet he felt... happy for her. She was still his friend, and Ronon was his teammate and - yes - his friend too. All those other feelings of love were still there but somehow muted because he didn't feel anything when he touched her. There was no touch memory or sense memory left, as if they had never once cuddled up together or shared a bed.

He recalled there had once been something on a plane but he couldn't remember where and when that had happened. Perhaps it was on... Earth? They had come from Earth originally. Nice world but... but he had no strong desire to go back there even though... He paused as the memory of someone like him but female pulled at his memory. He remembered bright blue eyes - intelligent like his - and... Mer. She called him Mer.

"Jeannie," he murmured, smiling in remembrance and he wondered when she would visit them again. Perhaps next time she would bring Kaleb and Madison.

When John turned the corner ahead, Rodney felt his heart skip a beat. He saw John freeze at the same moment, eyes dilating and aggression fading into a strange meekness as he approached. John smiled tightly at him.

"Hey Rodney."

Since these weird biological changes began, Rodney had tried to avoid John and he knew John was doing the same. He hated it though. He missed his best friend, missed racing cars and playing chess, and drinking beer out on the pier at the end of a hectic day. He missed the team movie nights and the laughter of shared meals in the mess hall.

Rodney kept his hands pressed against his side to resist the urge to reach out and touch John, and he noticed that John kept his hands in tight fists inside his pockets. They walked together, side-by-side, and Rodney felt a rush like electricity zinging through him every time they brushed shoulders accidentally. He wished he understood what it meant and he was so tempted to simply stop this small charade of indifference and reach out. Part of him was afraid though, because he'd taken to reading Carson's notes about the strange changes long before Carson interrogated the Atlantis A.I.

Miko came out of the transporter ahead of them and blushed furiously when John offered a small greeting. She was like him - what Carson had taken to calling an omega - and the thought of John bonding to her made him feel sick inside. He had accepted Jennifer and Ronon. He could even accept Lorne with that botanist who'd replaced Katie, and he knew Carson had finally given in and resumed his relationship with the tap dancing, explosives lieutenant who had once been the bane of Rodney's existence. Yet, for some reason, the thought of John choosing a partner for life made him feel nauseous.

For a similar reason, Rodney had stayed well away from the female alphas, not wanting to pair bond with anyone and lose his close friendship with John. Not that any had shown any interest in him.

He noticed that John shied away from Miko when she stepped forward, and he felt relieved when she walked on without any further interest in John. Wanting to change the subject, he asked the first thing that popped into his head.

"Have you been having any problems with..." Rodney waved his fingers at the side of his head. "Memories?"

"Memories?"

"Yes. Remembering things like..." he huffed. "I can recall equations, theories, even my thesis for my second doctorate word for word, and every event from my past, well except for really young memories but nobody remembers what they did when they were babies..."

"That doesn't sound like you have any memory problems," John interrupted with a teasing smile.

"Yes, yes, but... something's missing. The memories are all there but not the... emotions?" Rodney winced. "Attachments?" He never usually had a problem finding the right word but this was the sort of touchy-feely gray area that psychologists like Heightmeyer had excelled at... not astrophysicists with second doctorates in mechanical engineering.

By now they had stepped out of the transporter into the mess hall, and John remained silent as he grabbed a coffee and a pastry before heading towards a table overlooking the ocean. Rodney joined him, settling down in the seat opposite. The table was narrow and it would have taken only a slight stretch for their fingers to brush as they set down their mugs and plates. Instead John's hands were white-knuckled as he wrapped them around his coffee mug.

"I think I know what you mean," John murmured softly, refusing to meet Rodney's eyes. "I can remember playing as a kid but the memories seem... hollow."

Rodney snapped and pointed a finger at him. "Exactly."

It had made John look up and Rodney found his eyes locking with John's, mesmerized as his pupils dilated until all that was left was a rim of gold and green. Rodney flicked his gaze down at movement, watching John's tongue dart out, moistening already glistening lips. He didn't realize that he had reached across the tabletop until he felt the almost electrifying touch of skin on skin, and when he felt the brush of John's lips against his own, only then did he register that they were no longer seated with the table between them.

Time seemed to stand still as the heat of need and want coiled in Rodney's belly, igniting every nerve ending. In the distance he thought he could hear voices. Someone pulled on his arm, turning intense pleasure to excruciating pain. He could hear John yelling and snarling... and then nothing as he slipped into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, Rodney found himself in one of the isolation rooms off the infirmary wearing just the thin hospital gown that did nothing to cover his dignity. He rolled over and was surprised to see John in the bed next to his, similarly attired. Slipping off his bed, he padded over to John's side in his bare feet, grateful that the floors in Atlantis were always just the right temperature - as if the city monitored his exact needs.

He reached out but drew his hand back before touching, half recalling the shock and agony of that earlier touch. When John moaned low and in pain, any lingering fear evaporated and he cradled John's face in the palm of one hand. The touch was amazing, sending tiny shock waves of pure pleasure racing through him as his blood rushed into his groin once more.

John's eyes opened, already darkened with lust and need, and this time when John dragged him down into a kiss, there was no one to stop them. He felt the rush of pleasure, sharp and golden, filling all the empty, dark places inside him. He felt love and desire, felt needed and protected as John flipped them over, pushing deep inside him in one swift motion that should have been painful but was instead perfect, as if his whole body had simply been waiting for John. Rodney could hear John murmuring his name over and over, aware that he was babbling in return, holding John tight as he surged into each glorious thrust, taking John deeper and harder.

When his climax crashed over him it was indescribable, feeling John inside him both physically and mentally, with thoughts entwining even as their limbs wrapped tighter around each other.

When he awoke for a second time he was still lying in John's bed with his head resting on John's hairy chest. The hospital gowns were long gone, discarded in their desperate need for the feel of skin on skin. The soft hairs tickled his nose but he didn't want to move, mesmerized anew by the strong beat of John's heart and a sense of wellbeing wrapped around him that he could never recall feeling before. Eventually he realized John was awake and Rodney smiled when John stretched out beneath him. He felt John shift again slightly before fingers smoothed through his hair and caressed his cheek. Raising his face, Rodney smiled against the lips brushing against his, feeling a warmth inside his mind that mirrored the happiness glowing in John's bright eyes.

When they left the room a day later, everything around them seemed to be different. Other alpha-omega pairings had formed too and a sense of peace had settled over the city.

***

A week later, Carson smiled across the breakfast table at Laura, feeling the slender bond between them. He could see other couples sharing breakfast together and with friends - alphas, omegas and betas mixing. The atmosphere was relaxed and happy, with sounds of laughter rising around the mess hall. He watched as two disgruntled betas took a table on the other side of the mess hall, and felt his smile wane a little.

Not everyone had good experiences from the change, and if Carson's latest test results were as promising as they seemed, then he would be able to offer all betas the chance to take a retrovirus that would revert them back to fully human. Those people could then head back to the planet of their birth.

Most, however, were happy to keep the genetic changes. The alphas and omegas in particular no longer felt any draw to their home world, barely recalling its significance in a form of selective amnesia. Atlantis was their home now, just as the A.I. had intended when it made the changes to their physiology. Eventually Carson knew he might be able to produce a retrovirus to restore them to their former human state too, but he had a feeling that none would ever take him up on the offer.

As the bond sung bright and golden between him and Laura, he didn't need to understand why.

END

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End file.
